A couple of rookies, a returning veteran and a solid goaltending performance gave the Columbus Blue Jackets exactly what they’d needed so desperately — a victory.

First-round picks Ryan Johansen and John Moore both scored their first NHL goals, defenseman James Wisniewski looked solid in his Columbus debut and Steve Mason stopped 30 shots as the Blue Jackets beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Tuesday night for their first win in nine games this season.

For the Jackets, the sense of relief was palpable.

“I don’t feel like I weigh 275 pounds anymore. The win was the big thing,” said forward R.J. Umberger, who scored the game’s first goal just 21 seconds after the opening faceoff.

“I don’t think anyone in that dressing room has been through anything like the three weeks of hell we’ve been through,” coach Scott Arniel said. “A lot of baggage came with it. I thought the Dallas game (a 3-2 loss last Tuesday) we played well and didn’t get rewarded. In Ottawa we played well for 59 minutes … Tonight everyone in the lineup stepped up and played a part.

“We were energized for 60 minutes. I’m glad for those guys to get that monkey off their back.”

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020116&navid=sb:recap

Lightning rally, then hold off Sabres 4-3

Mathieu Garon didn’t let a couple of early goals get him down.

The Buffalo Sabres beat Garon twice on their first three shots Tuesday night at the First Niagara Center — two more times than they managed in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Lightning in Tampa Bay. But Garon and the Lightning both rebounded — the veteran goaltender stopped 35 of Buffalo’s last 36 shots, and the Lightning rallied for a 4-3 victory to complete a home-and-home sweep.

“You have to forget about the goals because if you give up another one it’s probably over,” Garon said. “You just have to worry about the next shot and battle through.”

Garon, who was signed as a free agent this summer to back up Dwayne Roloson, is taking an increasing share of the playing time away from the 42-year-old.

“He’s definitely a great goalie,”Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier said of Garon. “He’s making the big saves and it’s been tough to score on him lately. He’s really good to begin with, but now he’s getting his confidence back so that makes him even tougher to beat. Between him and Roloson, that’s a pretty good duo.”

Lightning nemesis Thomas Vanek started the scoring for the Sabres when he stole the puck from defenseman Eric Brewer and put a backhander through Garon’s five-hole just 1:56 after the opening faceoff. Vanek has now scored 23 goals in 26 career games against the Lightning.

“You have to create offense and you have to do it with speed,”Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “I think on Saturday night in their place we were playing too east-west, so tonight we wanted to change that.”

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020113&navid=sb:recap

This Day In Sabres History:

October 27, 2007 Vanek Completes Sabres Comeback over the Lightning

On this date 4 years ago the Buffalo Sabres took on the Tampa Bay Lightning from the St. Pete Times forum. The Lightning scored the first 2 goals in 1:20 span in the 2nd Period on goals from Vinny Prospal and Maxim Ouellet. The Sabres would quickly tie the game with the goals from Maxim Afinogenov and Paul Gaustad before the 2nd Period would end. Vincent Lecavalier Power Play marker put the Lightning back in the lead with less than 14 minutes left in regulation. Nathan Paetsch would tie the game for the Sabres with 6:47 left in the game. Thomas Vanek would complete the Sabres comeback scoring with 40.7 seconds left in Overtime. Ryan Miller got the win making 31 Saves. The win would mark the Sabres 5th win of the season.